Issue 3, May 8, 2009

Pest Management Retailer Training Website

Previous studies have shown that most homeowners buy pesticides from retail stores with lawn and garden centers and that store employees are often asked to make pest management recommendations.

Responsible Pest Management for Retailers is an online training course that will take retailers through various aspects of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and discuss options for pest control. The website consists of five training components covering: Integrated Pest Management, understanding pesticides, understanding labels, human pesticide protection, and store safety. Participants must register online and pay a fee to take the course. The online class should take about three hours to complete, but individuals can work at their own pace and come back to each section at any time. After successfully finishing all five modules, they will receive a certificate of completion.

As retail store employees become more knowledgeable about IPM, this should improve their ability to make recommendations and ultimately reduce risk to consumers and the environment. The web site was developed by University of Illinois Extension and was partially funded by a grant from U.S. EPA Region 5 in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. For more information, please contact George Czapar at (217) 782-6515 or gfc@illinois.edu.--Phil Nixon (slightly modified fact sheet)

Author:
Phil Nixon

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